Balkan Update

August 17, 1994

Snipers from Serb-held areas fired more than a dozen shots on the Holiday Inn area in central SARAJEVO, flouting a U.N.-mediated agreement to stop such attacks.Tensions in and around the city have risen of late with more than 600 cease-fire violations a day.

The U.N. airlift to SARAJEVO resumed after a five-day suspension.

A U.N. aid official reported an expulsion of Muslims from &L Serb-held BIJELJINA.Relief officials said they believed the Serbs had resumed ethnic purges to cement their grip against pressure to cede land under the latest international peace plan.

Government forces reportedly have made substantial gains around BREZA, moving within reach of a key road north to the government stronghold of TUZLA.

A British U.N. peacekeeper was killed near GORNJI VAKUF while supervising the clearing of a minefield. He was the 104th U.N. casualty of the 28-month war.